Hiatt released from jail after posting $1,000 bail on child porn charge
By Judy Harrison, Bangor Daily News Staff
Penobscot County Treasurer and Bangor School Committee member John Hiatt has been released from the Penobscot County Jail after posting $1,000 cash bail.
Hiatt, 38, of Bangor was arrested Tuesday and charged with possession of child pornography, a felony. He appeared remotely before a judge on Wednesday and was released at 4:30 p.m. that same day according to jail personnel.
Bail conditions include Hiatt having no contact with minors, not to be at schools, playgrounds or anywhere where minors congregate and not to possess any device that can connect to the internet.
Hiatt, a Republican, will live in Bangor with relatives where no minors reside, his attorney, Harris Mattson of Bangor, said Wednesday.
He already is facing charges related to his alleged stalking and harassing of a 34-year-old Bangor woman on social media and in text messages sent to her cell phone earlier this year. Hiatt previously was arrested on May 14 by Bangor police on multiple charges, including a felony invasion of privacy charge.
Bangor police say they found sexually explicit images of children under the age of 12 on Hiatt’s phone that was examined as part of the stalking and harassment investigation.
Mattson told Superior Court Justice Ann Murray during Hiatt’s remote court appearance Wednesday that his client was not accused of sexually abusing any children.
Prior to his arrest Tuesday, Hiatt had refused to consider resigning and said he would seek reelection to both positions. He announced Monday on Facebook that he would kick off his reelection bid for the school board on Wednesday, the first day nomination petitions were available. His term as county treasurer expires at the end of 2022.
The school committee election is nonpartisan but Hiatt ran for the county position as a Republican. He also is a member of the Republican State Committee.
On Wednesday the chair of the Maine GOP called on him to resign.
“I am deeply troubled by the allegations against John Hiatt,” Demi Kouzounas said Wednesday. “While John will have his day in court, he should do what is best for his community and resign from all political positions immediately,”
Kouzounas is the first prominent political figure to publicly call for Hiatt’s resignation.
Hiatt is expected to respond to that demand through his attorney on Thursday or Friday.
Neither county commissioners nor school board members have called for his resignation.
Hiatt has not been asked to enter pleas on any of the charges because he has not yet been indicted by the grand jury. He is next due in court on Oct. 19.
If convicted of either possession of child pornography or felony invasion of privacy, Hiatt faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. Class D crimes carry a maximum one-year term of incarceration and a fine of up to $2,000, and the maximum sentence and fine for a Class E crime are six months in jail and $1,000.
If you are concerned about a child being neglected or abused, call Maine’s 24-hour hotline at 800-452-1999 or 711 to speak with a child protective specialist. Calls may be made anonymously. For more information, visit maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse.